Recap / Doctor Who S18 E4 "State of Decay"

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The Doctor: Do you know, it just occurs to me. There are vampire legends on almost every inhabited planet. Romana: Really? The Doctor: Yes. Creatures that stalk in the night and feast on the blood of the living. Creatures that fear sunlight and running water and certain herbs. Creatures that are so strong they can only be killed by beheading, or a stake through the heart.

The TARDIS (still in E-Space) lands on a planet that seems to be inhabited only by a single small village full of peasants and a castle occupied by three sinister rulers. This turns out to be because the planet's inhabitants come from a crashed spaceship from Earth; the castle is built from the remains of the spaceship. The captain and his executive officers became the rulers, and the peasants are descended from everybody else.

That's not the interesting bit, though: the interesting bit is that the Three Who Rule are vampires. And they're working to revive their master, a Giant Vampire who fought (and nearly defeated) the Time Lords themselves aeons ago.

The Doctor must answer the question: Just how do you deal with a Giant Vampire? A bit of wood with a point at one end really isn't going to do the job. A giant pointy castle tower, however, will.

Terrance Dicks had originally proposed this story several years earlier, for the slot that ended up going to "Horror of Fang Rock"; it was turned down at the time because the BBC was about to air a big-budget adaptation of Dracula, and they didn't want anybody to think Doctor Who was taking the mickey.

Tropes

Alien Blood: The Doctor's blood is blue, though in all other episodes before and since it's been red. The shot was supposed to be replaced, but time ran out and the shot remains in.

Exposition of Immortality: Photos of the Three Who Rule are found by the Doctor in the databanks of the rebel's computer, confirming his suspicions that there's something not quite right and that they've been around for millenia.

Fake Defector: After spending a couple episodes under mind control, Adric pretends to side with the Three Who Rule so he can safely wait for an opening to save Romana. This plan does not work, but at least he apologizes.

Aukon: You will all serve the Great One, Doctor, one way or another. If you do not join us you will feed him with your blood. Doctor: No. There is a third choice. Aukon: What is that? Doctor:I candestroythe Great One.

Torches and Pitchforks: The Doctor persuades the peasants to attack the castle of their tyrannical rulers (actually a spaceship embedded in the ground) with a rousing speech that's paraphrased from the St. Crispin's Day speech in Henry V. A mob scene with torches and pitchforks ensues.

Trojan Prisoner: Romana poses as Tarak's prisoner to allow them to sneak into the tower to rescue Adric.

Aukon: The guards must hold the tower to the last man. Guard: We are outnumbered. Unless you aid us we shall all be killed! Aukon: Then die. That is the purpose of guards.

What Happened to the Mouse?: The topic of "The Wasting" comes up several times during the first episode as something the peasants dread and will not discuss. It seems significant, but once episode one ends, it's never mentioned again. This is apparently a hangover from a much early draft of the script.

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